About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman

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Unified Plurality  

 

Genesis 2:24 reads:

 

"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."

 

Genesis 2:24 portrays marriage between one man and one woman, two distinctly separate people, existing in a unified plurality.  Might the concept of two being one extend beyond a marriage relationship in God's mind? 

 

Genesis 1:26 says that God created us in His likeness and image, suggesting that God's nature was reflected in us at creation.  As Father, Son, and Spirit, for example, are a unified plurality, God's intent for a husband and wife is to be a mirror image of God in this respect.  Of course, the mirror image became foggy and distorted, as seen in Genesis 3.  Nevertheless, God being a unified plurality is an underlying motivation for all He does, as seen in His relationship with Old Testament Israel.            

 

The prophet Hosea portrays God to be Israel 's husband, but Israel committed adultery by uniting with pagan gods.  Despite Israel's infidelity, the concept of unified plurality is still God's will.  Like a man leaving his parents to be united with his wife, so Jesus left His Father to be united with His bride, the church. 

 

In Jesus' Jewish culture, a man left his parents to marry his wife, after which he returned home alone to prepare a comfortable home for her.  When all was fully prepared, he returned to his wife, took her home, and consummated their marriage.  In like manner, Jesus left His Father to marry His bride, after which He returned home to prepare a dwelling place for His bride until such time He returns to take her home to consummate their marriage.  Of course, things seldom change.  James 4:4 reads.

 

"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

                      

James 4:4 refers to church that couldn't wait for its eternal home prepared by Jesus.  Like the Jews of old, it committed adultery by marrying the world.  The same is true with the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14 - 22).  In both instances, church preferred the instant gratification the world offered instead of the eternal blessings that are being prepared for us by Jesus.    

 

Understanding that which we call church is not necessarily how the Bible defines church, much of the church in the West is no different than the Jews of old, the church of James 4:4, and the Laodicean church.  Marriage to the world, and all that it offers, intrigues church more than marriage to Jesus and all that He offers.  As pictured in Revelation 3:20, Jesus stands knocking on the door of church, inviting all inside to join Him at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb where the realization of a unified plurality among God and His people will be realized in the ultimate marriage consummation.                   

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